Manish Paranjpe

Arabic Literature
April 15, 2013
Mr. Munhofen
Ali LaPointe and Morality in The Battle of Algiers
Man has been subject to modern uropean colonialism since the 1!00s. "ith these con#uests,
aimed at $ainin$ military, political and reli$ious influence, comes an ine%itable resistance to po&er.
'he (ational Liberation )ront*s +)L(, resistance, depicted in The Battle of Algiers, is none more than
another lin- on the $lobal chain of resistance to outside in%aders. As portrayed in the film, a common
tactic employed by rebels to fi$ht a$ainst the )rench coloni.ers is terrorism, or, accordin$ to Merriam/
"ebster dictionary0 1the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.1 Morality can often
be seen as compromised in these 1terrorists1. 2n the other hand, the )L( and other freedom fi$hters
cannot be considered moral for they are fi$htin$ for their o&n liberation from a forei$n enemy. "hile
Ali LaPointe*s -illin$ of innocent )rench Al$erians can be considered unfounded and e%en immoral,
these attac-s &ere one of the )L(*s only effecti%e &eapons a$ainst their %ey moral cause of fi$htin$
a$ainst the harsh and oppressi%e )rench occupation of Al$iers.
)rom a outsider*s %ie&, Ali LaPointe*s actions may seem dishonorable and e%en unfounded.
'he youn$ resistance fi$hter en$a$ed in a systematic campai$n of innocent -illin$s in order to spread
terror in the city of Al$iers. As depicted in the film, 3olonel Mathieu &as brou$ht in for the %ery
reason of #uellin$ the )rench police and citi.ens* fears of these random bombin$s. Ali LaPointe
participated in a series of )L( led 4terror5 attac-s. )or e6ample, the )L( decimated a relati%ely
innocent )rench dancin$ $roup. 'he )rench had been in Al$iers for o%er 100 year7 many of these
citi.ens called only Al$iers home. 'herefore, one can consider the Al$erian prota$onists actions as
immoral. 8e used his uropean/loo-in$ nei$hbors as pa&ns in his fi$ht a$ainst )rance, and in doin$
so spread terror around the city. )urthermore, Ali himself played a direct role in -illin$ 8assan/ a
nati%e &ho refused to join the )L(. A$ain, an innocent ci%ilian lost his life in the cross fire bet&een the
resistance fi$hters and colonial po&ers. 2ne commonly calls these types of mass -illin$s of innocent
people as acts of terrorism7 society associates modern day terrorists, such as 2sama bin Laden and
)aou.i Mohamad Ayoub, &ith co&ardice, radicalism, and immorality. LaPointe*s actions ha%e stri-in$
similarities bet&een the men mentioned abo%e. 'he film be$ins &ith his attempted murder of a )rench
policeman0 a public ser%ant simply performin$ his duties set by the )rench. "hile it &ould be hard to
ar$ue that )rench &ere actin$ completely morally, the policeman &as actin$ lar$ely out of obedience
and loyalty to his superiors. Ali*s morality &as sho&n to be clouded by his innocent -illin$ of the
)rench policeman and 8assan, as &ell as his association &ith the )L( and their numerous bombin$s.
After &itnessin$ countless $uilt/free ci%ilians perish as a result of LaPointe and the )L(*s
leadership, it mi$ht be temptin$ to cate$ori.e Ali as just another upset, mis$uided youth actin$
immorally to disturb the century old uropean domination of Al$iers. 8o&e%er, closer analysis re%eals
that the youn$ prota$onist &as fi$htin$ not to -ill the innocent, but to protect his o&n. 'he )rench
rulers are sho&n to ha%e routinely mistreated their (orth African colony, -illin$ nati%es, bombin$
buildin$s, and $i%in$ preferential treatment to their &hite s-inned subjects. )or e6ample, three )rench
officials co%ertly planted a bomb in the Al$erian #uarter at ni$ht, murderin$ e%en children. "hile Ali
LaPointe acted similarly, he &as not an in%ader7 the )rench sei.ed control of Al$eria in the mid 1900s.
'he uropean nation*s &ere made e%en acute by the fact that they &ere destroyin$ a land that &as not
their*s to bein$ &ith. 'he mo%ie clearly sho&ed the military chec-points enacted to contain the nati%e
Al$erians. "hile )rench Al$erians could pass throu$h &ith little #uestionin$, the nati%es &ere
harassed &ith #uestions and searches. 'his preferential treatment &as %ie&ed in the eyes of the )L(
and Ali as not only unjust but incredibly immoral. 'he train of abuses does not stop here7 the latter part
of the film focuses on the brutal torture by 3olonel Mathieu in order to brin$ do&n the )L(.
mployin$ tactics such as &ater torture and electrocution, Mathieu and his collea$ues &anted to
destroy the )L( out of the selfish purpose of maintainin$ his country*s po&er o%er Al$iers. 'he
Al$erians, as e%idenced in their stri-e, %ie&ed their rulers as completely unfounded in their claims of
controllin$ Al$iers. 'a-in$ these acts into consideration, LaPointe*s murders can be %ie&ed not radical,
but as a tool to brin$ about liberty. :e%oid of the lar$e military mi$ht of the )rench, the )L( and
LaPointe used their stron$est &eapon0 terror. ;i$htly upset at a forei$n po&er arbitrarily claimin$ to
rule their homeland and subse#uently torturin$ its citi.ens, Ali LaPointe &as fi$htin$ for his people.
8e simply matched )rench terrorism, as e%idenced in the bombin$, 3olonel Mathieu*s torture, and
chec-points, &ith his o&n.
<n conclusion, &hile Ali LaPointe*s acts of murder can be %ie&ed as terrorist and immoral, a
closer loo- re%eals that the Al$erian &as only tryin$ to defend his homeland a$ainst the oppressi%e
)rench. 'he )rench used e%erythin$ from torture to bombin$s in order to e6ert their rule o%er Al$iers.
LaPointe fou$ht bac- &ith the only &eapon he and the )L( had0 terrorism. =o &hile the prota$onist
did ta-e the li%es of many, includin$ children, he did so &ith a moral conscience. 8e &as justly tryin$
to protect his peers from a $roup of people, li-e 3olonel Mathieu, that should ar$uably ha%e ne%er been
in Al$iers in the first place. 'he morality of this man*s life falls into a $ray area so commonly obser%ed
throu$hout the film. (umerous other characters, such as the 3olonel and member of the )L(, act in a
similar manner. "hile they do -ill innocent ci%ilians, they do so &ith, often, the $oal of ad%ancin$
their o&n people. More si$nificantly, &ar, as depicted in The Battle of Algiers, is another instance of
moral ambi$uity. All combatants in a &ar can be thou$ht of as both morally ri$hteous and e%il.
=oldiers, such as the )L( members or the )rench men under 3olonel Mathieu, -ill others. 8o&e%er,
one must loo- at their reasons for -illin$ in order to understand the moral ambi$uity in%ol%ed. Mathieu
tortures others in order to destroy an or$ani.ation he percei%es as a threat to )rench po&er. And the
)L( bombs innocent )rench/Al$erians because they belie%e that his &ill help them remo%e the
coloni.ers. 'herefore, Ali LaPointe, similar to the film, is neither e%il or ri$hteous7 he is merely actin$
in his best interest.